INDYCAR: Allmendinger Settling In Quickly At Sebring

Former Champ Car ace AJ Allmendinger went into the lunch break at Sebring nestled between Dario Franchitti and Justin Wilson on the time charts.

Marshall Pruett | Posted February 19, 2013

AJ Allmendinger wasted no time getting up to speed in an Indy car after a 7-year layoff. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

Former Champ Car ace AJ Allmendinger went into the lunch break at Sebring nestled between Dario Franchitti and Justin Wilson on the time charts, and more speed could be on the way this afternoon.

For all of the drama he's experienced since the middle of the 2012 season, one where he lost his ride with the Penske Racing NASCAR team after failing a drug test, Allmendinger looked like his old self Tuesday morning in central Florida.

Full of jokes with his Team Penske crew before strapping in, teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves also responded immediately to the 31-year-old Californian's light and easy demeanor.

Compared to the Team Penske tone last year--one that strayed towards tense and dark at times, Allmendinger's personality has been a jolt of energy for the veteran open-wheel team.

And for the part that matters most, his performance behind the wheel of the No. 2 Dallara DW12-Chevy was also uplifting. Target Ganassi's Scott Dixon set the early pace up to the lunch break with a 52.017-second lap, while Penske's Power ran second with a 52.153, good enough for P2, and Helio Castroneves went P3 with a 52.410.

Allmendinger was a close seventh with a 52.649, mid-pack among the 13 cars testing.

"Once I finally put on a set of new tires, and went out for that new-tire run, to be within a couple tenths of the guys already I feel good about that," said Allmendinger. "Now I can look at the data and look at small little gaps. I'm happy so far with the way things are going. It's been a fun process so far."

PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: AJ Allmendinger Penske Test

Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, covering IndyCar and sports cars. Now in his 27th year in the sport, Pruett was an open-wheel mechanic, engineer and manager before joining SPEED. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.